Since the late 1990’s Dr. John Berardi has published 8 scientific abstracts; 15 scientific papers and textbook chapters; presented at nearly 50 scientific, exercise, and nutrition related conferences; and published countless articles online.

His first articles at Testosterone Magazine so many years ago, provided me with the basis for everything I know about nutrition today. Now I will turn some of that knowledge over to you in the form of Nutrition Tips written by Dr. Berardi himself.

Today’s Topic – How Much Water You Should Drink

Water is important for maintaining proper health.

I have always advocated drinking at least a gallon of water a day, but then some media outlets over-hype the fact that drinking too much water can make you sick, and people being to dismiss the importance of drinking water.

I think it all had to do with some radio contest to see who could drink the most water in the shortest amount of time. The fact is that you would have to drink many gallons of water in a short time frame to make yourself sick.

Water IS mandatory for proper bodily function.

You should drink between one and two gallons of water each day, depending on your lifestyle and your environment. That is why getting counter-top filters, commercial water dispensers, and filtration systems are so important.

For those of you using supplements like creatine, it is vital that you drink enough water or you could end up with severe cramps in your legs and arms. Trust me, I’ve been there. Incidentally, if you want to get the best creatine on the market, hook yourself up with some Kre-Alkalyn.

Here are just some ways water helps your body:

Helps you to maintain a proper blood volume of 92% water. This gives you more energy and prevents blood thickening, which can lead to high blood pressure and other heart diseases.

Helps get rid of excess sodium, which causes fluid retention. By drinking enough water, you will actually lose weight, even if it’s only water weight.

Helps you prevent and recover from a cold or a flu.

Tip: How Much Water

“You always hear experts recommending that you drink more water but how many of you actually do it? And how much is enough? Well, check out this chart below for some interesting data on water loss.

Water Loss:

Normal WeatherNo Exercise

Warm WeatherNo Exercise

Exercise in Warm Weather (85° F)

Skin

350 mL

350 mL

350 mL

Respiratory Tract

250 mL

350 mL

650 mL

Urine

1400 mL

1200 mL

500 mL

Feces

100 mL

100 mL

100 mL

Sweat

100 mL

1400 mL

5000 mL

Total

2,300 mL (2.3L)

3,300 mL (3.3L)

6,600 mL (6.6L)

It should be clear that quite a bit of water is lost per day, especially if you’re an athlete. Since most people can get about 1.5L of water from their food and from metabolic water production, for a margin of safety, I suggest:

Sedentary individuals drink at least 2L or about 8 cups of water per day

Athletes in normal climates drink at least 3L or about 12 cups of water per day.

Athletes in hot weather climates drink at least 4L or about 16 cups of water per day.”

See Also

This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition – Project Swole’s pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want — guaranteed.